Chapter 13: Arousal Regulation Flashcards
Why regulate arousal?
athletes who don’t effectively cope with stress may have decreases in performance as well as mental and physical distress
athletes need to be able to regulate arousal to stay focused and in control; when an athlete loses control means they have succumbed to pressure
Self-awareness of arousal
you must increase your awareness of your psychological states before you can control your thoughts and feelings
once your aware of optimal arousal, you can use arousal regulation strategies
want to be able to use your anxiety as facilitative rather debilitative
What are the techniques for reducing anxiety?
somatic anxiety reduction
cognitive anxiety reduction
multimodal anxiety reduction packages
What are the techniques for reducing somatic anxiety?
Jacobson’s progressive relaxation - series of scripted steps that help you feel the tension in your muscles and then release it
Breath control - when you are under pressure and tense, your breathing is short, shallow, and irregular; when you are calm, confident and in control, your breath is smooth, deep, and rhythmic
biofeedback - helps you become more aware of your autonomic nervous system and learn to control your physiological and autonomic responses by receiving physiological feedback not normally available
What are the breathing types?
deep breathing - good for warm-up; eliminate unwanted tension
rhythmic breathing - good during competition, uses a measured count; resting, focussed breathing
ratio breathing - good for concentration and focussing requirements; no hold between breaths
What are the techniques for reducing cognitive anxiety?
relaxation response - teaches individuals to quiet the mind, concentrate, and reduce muscle tension by applying the elements of meditation
autogenic training (clinical) - focuses on producing two physical sensations (warmth and heaviness) to produce a relaxed state; similar to jacobson’s; using mind to control body; understand sensations in body
systematic desensitization (clinical) - aims to reduce anxiety responses to stimulis by trying to have a response antagonistic to anxiety at the same time of the anxiety-provoking stimuli; involves training and practice; use with people who have severe performance anxiety
What is performance training?
specific strategies designed to create and expose athletes to pressure in practice, so that they are better able to cope with pressure in actual competition
Coping
process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific external or internal demands or conflicts appraised as taxing or exceeding one’s resources
must learn a broad spectrum of coping strategies to use in different situations and for different sources of stress
What are the categories of coping?
problem-focused coping - efforts to alter or manage the problems that are causing stress; used when stressful situations can be changed
emotion-focused coping - regulating the emotional responses to the problem that causes the stress; mood regulation; mental strategies that will help you deal with the uncontrollable; use emotion focussed coping when situations are not amenable to change
What are the coping techniques used by athletes?
thought control
task focus or narrowing
rational thinking and self-talk
positive focus and orientation
social support
precompetitive mental preparation and anxiety management
time management
training hard and smart
What are the yips?
associated with golf putting
a psych neuromuscular condition tha tlies on a continuum anchored by focal dystonia and choking
usually caused by anxiety, nerves, or choking in high-pressure situations
What are the yips?
associated with golf putting
a psych neuromuscular condition tha tlies on a continuum anchored by focal dystonia and choking
usually caused by anxiety, nerves, or choking in high-pressure situations
What are the strategies for coping with the yips?
relaxation training
positive thinking
visualization
systematic desensitization
What is resiliency?
participants need to effectively bounce back from adversity
many people gain positive attributes from adversity
most definitions revolve around core concepts of adversity and adaptation
motivation, master coaching, and deep practice have been proven to develop elite athlete’s
What has research revealed about resiliency?
resilience process uses variety of coping strategies
mental toughness and person resources are keys to successful coping
social support was seen as critical to successful coping
coping can at times be unpleasant, positive outcomes can result
